SHAWNEE MISSION, Kan. — This week Operation BBQ Relief will receive another truck with Prairie Fresh® pork to prepare for its Lake Charles, La., deployment that is serving hot barbecue meals to families and first responders affected by Hurricane Laura. In the first 10 days of the deployment, Operation BBQ Relief has served more than 166,000 meals to families and first responders.
Operation BBQ Relief mobilizes staff and volunteer barbecue cooks into natural disaster areas to serve the one hot barbecue meal that matters to those in need along with the many people who come to help. In Louisiana, Operation BBQ Relief deployed its Command Center, equipment, supplies and food to share the healing power of barbecue while implementing new COVID-19 health and food safety protocols as recommended by the CDC and local health departments.
In August, Operation BBQ Relief served 70,000 meals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, following the historical derecho. In addition to the Louisiana deployment, Operation BBQ Relief is providing meals to families affected by the California wildfires. This year Prairie Fresh has donated nearly 675,000 servings of pork to support Operation BBQ Relief’s Disaster Relief and Operation Restaurant Relief programs.
“Operation BBQ Relief and its dedicated volunteers’ commitment to serving the one hot barbecue meal that matters truly amazes and inspires all of us at Prairie Fresh,” says David Eaheart, Prairie Fresh sr. director of communications and brand marketing. “Nothing like a hot meal nourishes the soul when you’re facing the toughest of times, and we’re so glad Operation BBQ Relief and its many volunteers are there to bring comfort through a hot barbecue meal to those in need. We’re honored to support such a great organization.”
To join Prairie Fresh in supporting Operation BBQ Relief, make a donation at www.obr.org/donate.
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About Operation BBQ Relief
Operation BBQ Relief is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports communities following natural disasters with hot barbeque meals to those in need and on the front lines. After the devastating tornado in Joplin, Mo., in May 2011, competitive pitmasters from eight different states answered the call to feed displaced families and first responders and served over 120,000 meals over 13 days. This experience was the catalyst that started what Operation BBQ Relief is today. With the help of more than 14,000 volunteers, Operation BBQ Relief has provided over 8 million meals throughout the United States. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization has provided over four million meals to first responders, medical workers, veterans, families and organizations affected by the pandemic through their Operation Restaurant Relief program. In 2017, Stan Hays, CEO and Co-Founder was recognized as one of the “CNN Heroes” for his work with Operation BBQ Relief.
For more information, visit obr.org or follow on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @opbbqrelief.
About Prairie Fresh
Prairie Fresh® is the brand of a uniquely connected food system relentlessly seeking a better way to produce wholesome pork by purposely connecting every step between its farms in the Midwest and Great Plains and family tables around the world. Prairie Fresh pork is sold and marketed by Seaboard Foods, and produced and processed by Seaboard Foods, Triumph Foods and Seaboard Triumph Foods. As the official pork supplier to Operation BBQ Relief, Prairie Fresh has donated more than 2.5 million servings of pork for hot barbecue meals to Operation BBQ Relief since 2015.
For more information, visit prairiefresh.com or follow on Facebook and Instagram @prairiefresh.